16. A pious man, digging up the ground, found a marble statue. It spoke to the man and asked to be cleaned and to be placed in the house in a clean place, promising riches. One day it directed him to go and find his friend in a trap, free him and thus obtain a rich reward. He did so. Then the statue asked the man to light a lamp in

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front of it. He understood it to mean that it was to be worshipped. He took an axe to break it, but a demon came out and offered great riches if he would spare the statue. He refused and destroyed it. Next year he found a rich treasure in the garden.